


5 times Arthur was merely concerned

by DrJackAndMissJo



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Jealousy, M/M, Magic, Pining, angst with happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-06-28 18:09:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19817734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrJackAndMissJo/pseuds/DrJackAndMissJo
Summary: ... and one he was truly enraged





	1. 50%

**Author's Note:**

> As per usual  
> I don't own shit. Credits to BBC for this bloody show  
> Hope you enjoy!  
> Jo

“Tell me, Lance. How come a man as brave and noble as you decides to befriend Merlin of all people?”

“I stumbled upon him in the woods and we helped each other out with the Griffin. He is an honourable man, sire.”

Arthur clenched accidentally his cup. “Yes, I suppose he might be.”

“I am truly grateful for having met him. I have to thank my lucky stars that creature showed our paths together.”

A tense silence fell between the newly appointed knight and the Prince. They both drank their wine without uttering a single word, neither of them sure of what could be said.

It was unusual for the Prince to feel like that: his mood changed abruptly at the mere mention of his manservant. Even if he had drifted the conversation to that topic himself, he was not prepared for Lancelot’s answer.

“Did I say something wrong, sire?”, asked the knight, boldly yet respectfully.

“Not at all. I was just wondering what might’ve moved him to walk alone in the forest when there is a beast tormenting us.”

“I believe he was hunting for mushrooms and other herbs for the court physician. He couldn’t have possibly known what was about to happen.”

Arthur nodded at that, taking another sip of his wine. “Nor he could’ve known you’d come to the rescue.”

“To be fair, sire, it was a mutual rescuing. He is a man of many talents and he aided me ever since. I value his friendship a great deal.”

The Prince almost choked on his drink. Friendship? Since when did that clumsy oaf had any friends! He could understand gratitude, he himself was thankful to him for not burning his clothes or for not destroying his chambers, but he didn’t think that the pair had already grown that close to each other.

“You only met him recently. How can you consider him more than an acquaintance?”, he asked cautiously. 

“When you face a beast together with someone, they cannot be only acquaintances. Besides, Merlin and Gaius are letting me stay with them since my arrival here in Camelot. They both deserve my respect and gratitude.”

“Noble of you. As expected from your newly appointed title, Sir Lancelot.”

Arthur let his gaze wander around the room. There were several beautiful dames present at the celebration, most of the with a cup of wine in their hands. He was thinking about excusing himself from the conversation with Lancelot when he caught an impressive sight with the corner of his eyes: Merlin and Gwen were talking closely to one another, exchanging small laughter and smiles. His manservant turned his head towards them and raised his cup in a way of salute, as Gwen hid her face behind her free hand to conceal her laughter. 

Arthur was about to reciprocate the salute, when he remember his title and position, and that he could not be seen meddling with servants.

Lancelot, who had no such quarrels, raised his cup in their direction.

“My Lord, I beg of you to excuse me. I presume you have more important people to talk to.” Said the Knight, executing afterwards a perfect bow before turning to walk towards the pair.

Gwen began blushing when she saw him approaching, a comprehensible action given how charming and attractive the man was and given Gwen’s kind soul.

Merlin opened up in a bright smile, almost the size of his ears, and opened his arms to embrace the other man. Arthur went to fetch himself another glass, since his manservant was clearly too preoccupied elsewhere. 

“Something wrong, dear Arthur?” asked sardonically Lady Morgana with that wicked smile of hers painted on her red lips.

“Why would it be? This is nothing but a night of enjoyment and celebration.” He replied coldly.

“And yet you look as you’ve seen a ghost. Some wine and say what’s going on. Or perhaps you’re just feeling unwell. Maybe more wine will cure your illness.”

With his jaw tight, he asked:“And what would my illness be, my Lady?”

Sipping from her cup, she replied:“Jealousy, my dear.”

Arthur let out more a huff of air and sound than a laugh, but it could be registered as one nonetheless. “And who, please tell, would inspire such sentiment in my heart?”

“Who else if not our new brave knight, Sir Lancelot. I see him over there, lovingly talking to Merlin and Gwen. I also saw your expression when he walked towards them. You looked like you’d been punched.”

“How dare you speak such nonsense! You should be ashamed of yourself for even giving this any thought. Why would I be jealous of Lancelot?”

“He is rather close to Gwen. She is captivated by him, told me so herself.” Morgana said in a sweet voice, contrary to her words.

Arthur laughed again, this time true and hearty. “If this is what she wishes then I bless the union, even if it’s not my place to do so.”

He took a great sip from his cup before continuing his argument, “Besides, why would I ever be jealous of Lancelot and Gwen’s affection towards each other. She is a becoming a dear friend, that is true, but I have absolutely no wish of courting her. He is free to do as he pleases, Morgana. I find it surprising that they already share such a deep connection after only a few days, that’s all.”

The Prince turned his gaze towards the newly formed trio once more, noting that it had become a duo. Merlin was nowhere to be found, apparently.

“Could you excuse me, Morgana? I have to check and pray my idiot servant hasn’t fallen down the stairs.”

“Oh, really? Well then, now that he has freed himself from Lancelot’s preying hand he is all yours...”

“What is that supposed to mean?” he asked in utter disbelief.

“Nothing. Nothing at all.” She said before fleeting to Gwen’s side, who was amiably conversing with the knight.

Smiling at the scene, Arthur downed his cup all in once, managing to not spill the liquid on himself and exited the room, looking for Merlin.

He found him after roaming around the palace for a few minutes, a vial in his hand.

“Arthur! What are you doing here? Are you retiring yourself for the night?”, asked the raven haired man with concern written on his features as he moved closer. The Prince almost wanted to smile at him, a warm feeling making its way underneath his ribs and spreading. 

He wanted to say that he had come looking for him, for he wasn’t particularly enjoying the celebration without his manservant to taunt and talk to.

Instead he simply replied:“You left my cup unattended.”

‘ _ Good save, Arthur’ _ , he thought to himself. 

“And you wouldn’t know how to pour yourself a drink even if your life depended on it, do you?” said Merlin. 

“Be careful with your words, Merlin, or I’ll have you thrown in the dungeons and hanged by your toes!”

“Only to come and collect me in less than ten minutes when I’m not there to fetch your breakfast.”

Merlin was smiling broadly and freely at the Prince, who was trying to maintain a somehow straight face at their usual banter.

“I’m sorry for disappearing, though. I had forgotten an errand for Gaius and I remembered when I saw you talking to Morgana.”

“Is it for her?” the Prince asked. Nodding, Merlin added:“She is having troubles sleeping, even more so than usual. Gaius thought that, after the enjoyment of the night, she might need something to calm her mind.”

“Good. Now, be a good boy and fetch me a drink. Do you remember what happened the last time you didn’t attend to my cup, do you?” he asked while smirking before registering his words.

A dark shadow crossed over Merlin’s face. “Yes, sire, I do remember.” He said icily. “You’d better get back, sire, otherwise people might start talking.”

Realizing his mistake, Arthur did the only thing in his power to diffuse the situation; draping his arm around Merlin’s shoulders, he said:“Oh, poor Merlin! Did the big bad prince hurt your feelings?”

“Emphasis on the ‘big’ part. I swear, if I have to make another hole in your belts, you’ll be forced to buy a new one. I’m almost running out of space there!”

“Do you even know who I am?” asked a shocked Arthur who was enjoying this bit of banter more than any conversation he’d have that night.

“A prat who doesn’t say no to bread.” replied cheekily Merlin.

They had reached the great hall where the party was held while bickering. Recomposing himself, Arthur stepped aside from his manservant, leaving some space between them. 

“Go on then, go to your new best friend, I’m sure he’s already lost without you.” Said Arthur in a monotone voice.

“What’s the matter? I thought you liked him!” protested Merlin.

“Of course I do! I have to admit, he is an amazing swordsman. He is going to be a great knight.”

“Then why are you so rude?”

“Depends. To you? Cause I simply can.” Replied Arthur, while his mind listed all the reasons for him to use such manners on the new knight. On the top of said list was the amount of time he and his manservant spent together.

“Not to me, your royal prattiness. To Lance!”

_ ‘Oh so now he is  _ _ Lance _ _?’ _ Arthur thought. He could feel something akin hunger and anger rise from his stomach. “I am not rude towards Sir Lancelot! I treat him exactly as every other knight.”

That was true, indeed. Maybe in the morrow the Prince will have him do one lap more around the castle that the other knights, but that was because he had just arrived and needed the exercise. 

“If you say so. Then why was he almost relieved to come and talk to me and Gwen? Clearly you must’ve said something rude!”

“I can assure you, Merlin, that we were amiably talking.”

“Really? About what?” asked the man while crossing his arms.

“Hunting.” Replied curtly Arthur. “Now let’s go back inside, otherwise people might think you’d killed me!”

“I hardly doubt anyone would blame me if I did, sire.”

“Shut up, Merlin!” said Arthur, thanking the years of princeling practice that had managed to teach him to keep a straight face.

He didn’t mind the blossoming friendship between the new knight and his manservant. Not at all.

Or at least he wasn’t going to let it bother him. Why would it do so in the first place?


	2. 85%

Arthur was staring at the sun behind the trees, thinking about the impending battle. He had done his best to train the villagers of Ealdor, to get them ready to stand their ground defending their homes.

His mind often wandered about what would feel like living their lives. Waking up at the first lights of day to tend the fields and to care for the animals. Coming back from this work to have Merlin serve him breakfast.

Cause it didn’t matter the scenario, Merlin was always there with him.

Although he was not there at the moment. Had gone to collect some pieces of wood with that wretched friend of his who doubted Arthur’s lead. William Prince of Ealdor, he had called himself to mock him. And Merlin had had the audacity to laugh at that! 

They were a ‘ _ lovely pair of troublemakers’ _ , as Hunith had called them. There was absolutely nothing lovely about either of them, he had wanted to reply, but her son had just decided to enter the room with his broad idiotic smile and his elephant like ears and he immediately forgot his train of thought. 

Now, the Crown Prince of Camelot was waiting for the childhood friends to come back from their little adventures. Hopefully they would remember the wood they had gone to collect. He was left wondering what either found in the other. Sure, Merlin was loyal as a dog and dumb as one, but he was also brave and honourable and stubborn as a ass. He annoyed him and exasperated him, but truth to be told, he had grown close to the raven haired man himself and could see why everyone took a liking to him.

“ARTHUR!” yelled a female voice from behind him, bringing him back to reality and away from his thoughts.

“What do you want, Morgana?” he snapped at her.

“Just wanted to let you know that dinner’s ready and that Merlin’s back. You’ve been here mopping too long already.” She replied acidly

‘ _ He’s back? But how, I’ve been waiting outside on the cold all this time!’  _ he thought to himself. 

Indeed, Morgana had told him the truth: Merlin was helping his mother with the plates while Gwen and Will laughed seated at the table.

He still wondered how Merlin had managed to come back inside without him noticing, though. He made a mental note to ask him later, when they both pretended to be asleep one next to the other. 

Arthur never managed to sleep properly the night of a battle and, thanks to Merlin, he was feeling less and less lonely in those nights. His manservant kept him company with his rumbling nonsense and his jokes and his presence calmed him like nothing else.

When Merlin sat at the table next to William, it felt like all the air had been sucked out of Arthur’s lungs, but for the sake of everyone, maintained a straight face and began a conversation with Hunith while they dined.

***

“May I speak to you, Prince?” asked Will, not caring about protocol nor anything while he went outside.

Arthur had no choice but to follow him.

“Merlin’ll probably murder me for this, but I want you to tell him to stay here.”

Arthur was speechless. The boy was not only addressing him improperly, something he wasn’t used coming from someone other than his manservant, but was also ordering him to leave Merlin there. Terror washed over the Prince in a giant wave at the thought of parting from his  friend .

“Why would I do such a thing?” he asked with all the arrogance he could muster.

“Because he is not safe in Camelot.” Said with finality Will, before leaving towards what, Arthur assumed, was his house.

The Prince was left in disbelief. What or whom could ever harm Merlin in his kingdom? He was loved by everyone. Hell, probably even his enemies liked his servant boy with his bony prominent cheekbones and his clumsy limbs.

Working for Arthur wasn’t probably ideal, considering their constant fighting, but he never meant any of the words he used with him, especially when he called him stupid or idiot.

_ ‘Stop with this nonsense, Arthur. If Merlin had problems he’d told you. The boy’s just jealous of your friendship. _ ’, Arthur thought to himself.

But a nasty voice kept on whispering into his ear: what if Merlin never said anything because he didn’t trust him? What if he was the reason why Merlin wasn’t safe? What if his Merlin had decided to confide to his old friend because he couldn’t tell Arthur?

What if he didn’t trust Arthur anymore?

***

It was done. The battle was won. Ealdor was saved.

But Arthur felt like he had lost.

He saw it, with his own two eyes: Merlin, raising his hand and evoking a blow of magical wind out of thin air. Arthur’s world stopped.

“Who did it?” he asked angrily, already knowing the answer. “I can recognise magic when I see it. One of you did it!”

William, brave and stupid as he was, moved forward and claimed to have been the one who had done the enchantment.

“But we’re not in Camelot, nor in one of your father’s lands. Here magic is frowned upon, but not illegal. You can’t kill me your majesty.” Said the boy.

Arthur looked into Merlin’s face: he was paler than usual and looked like he was about to pass out from exhaustion, which was comprehensible given the great strength a spell must require.

It took the prince one heartbeat to decide with line of action he’d take.

“Then I must’ve seen wrong. No magic was done here today, so I see no other reason to kill you, besides your arrogance and rudeness.”

He could feel the air lighten around Merlin, who stepped forward and placed a hand on Will’s shoulder. “We did it! We won!” he said with a smile so bright it was blinding.

The two friends hugged as the remaining villagers began their celebrations.

They had done it, they had managed to survive. 

Arthur decided to leave the two boys a moment alone, so he simply said to Merlin “We ride in an hour.”

Gwen and Morgana cornered him almost instantly. 

“What will you do with Will?” asked his father’s ward.

“What should I do? I would throw him in the dungeons for his insolence if we were in Camelot, but, since we’re not, I’ll do nothing.”

He hoped both women understood what he really meant with his words.

Thankfully, they did and left him alone.

He began walking and thinking. The boy had risked his life to protect Merlin. And, without any shadow of doubt, Merlin would’ve done the same if the roles were reversed. 

But it wasn’t that what bothered Arthur. He was bothered by the fact that Will knew about his manservant’s secret. 

And Arthur didn’t. What was worst was that Merlin didn’t even confess. Obviously he didn’t because he knew that Arthur would’ve killed him on the spot for it.

Wouldn’t he?

Of course he would, he was the Crown Prince of Camelot and all magic was evil!

Was it all evil? Hadn’t Merlin shown rare loyalty to him? Hadn’t Merlin already saved his life countless times?

But all those thoughts left Arthur unbothered. He’d have time to think about them when, and if, Merlin ever came forward with his secret. 

For now, he was worried about why did the friendship between the two boys from Ealdor left him so uneasy inside.

But he couldn’t find an answer to that question, so he simply let it go. 

Merlin was his own man and he could have as many friends as he wished.

_ ‘Only they didn’t have to be so close to him, closer than Arthur was.’ _ His mind thought. 

* * *


	3. 90%

He couldn’t find him anywhere. He wasn’t there when he woke up, which wasn’t unusual per se. He didn’t arrive with his breakfast, nor later to attend to any of his duties. Worst manservant ever indeed.

Arthur would have him thrown in the dungeons or put in a pillory and leave him there for good. Although that might’ve been a bad idea due to the fact that there were not that many vegetables in the world left to be thrown at him. 

He went looking for the useless servant all over the castle. The kitchens, stables, armoury. The Prince had hoped that maybe, once in his life, Merlin would’ve skipped his duties cause he was merely polishing his armour. What a dream it might’ve been, considering that, the majority of the times, whenever Merlin was nowhere to be seen it meant trouble. Of the magical kind from people that wanted to hurt the King.

Panic was slowly making its way up the Prince's throat and he decided to go to the place that might have some answers.

“Gaius, do you happen to know where that useless manservant of mine went?”, he asked entering the physician’s rooms, surrounding himself in an aurea of swagger that didn't match his turbulent mind the least.

“No, sire. I haven’t seen him since this morning. He left with Gwen to go and retrieve Gwaine. I believe he was in some sort of trouble.” Said the old man. Gaius then raised his usual judgmental eyebrow at the expression the Prince had decided to wear. “Something wrong, sire?”

“Not at all" he said through gritted teeth. "Whenever that ridiculous excuse for an efficient manservant comes around, tell him that he has to do all his usual chores and clean the stables and wash my horses and feed my dogs. And then send him immediately back to me, so I can give him even more chores.”

"I will sire, but I don't know when I might see him. He will probably come to you as soon as he is free of his recent chore."

Arthur smiled at that, subtly. "Thank you, Gaius."

Turning around, he left, his mind running to a million different places. 

What was Merlin doing with Gwaine? That drunken bastard was going to ruin his manservant, Arthur was sure of that. But Gwen was involved as well, so it couldn’t have possibly been all bad. Right? As long as that girl was around, he wouldn’t have a problem with the two boys bonding too much. Especially since Gwaine was a shameless flirt and probably was trying to get under her skirts at the moment. And she was most certainly going to murder him while Merlin stood in a corner doing nothing, as per usual.

The question that was occupying the young prince’s head was another one, though. Why was he so bothered by Merlin’s friendships? 

Lancelot, William and now Gwaine. They were nice people, even if Will undermined him and Gwaine was, well, Gwaine. But Arthur wanted to move them miles away from his servant and never let them in contact. It was a selfish behaviour, and a moronic one to be fair, but he felt safer every time they were alone. 

The two of them, thicker than thieves and closer than brothers.

Worst of it all, he only got worked up whenever Merlin was spending time with men. He had a close friendship with both Gwen and Morgana, but that didn’t seem to bother him. Even when Gaius said that he had left with Gwen, he had no reaction. But the moment Gwaine was mentioned, the prince tensed up.

Arthur was deeply into his thoughts, so deep he couldn’t see where his feet had taken him and he crushed into Morgana.

“Watch where you’re going!”

“You came onto me, Arthur. You might wanna come back down from the Pindaric flight you’re taking. Where were you headed anyway?” asked the she-devil with a sly grin. 

“None of your business, that’s for sure.” He replied while crossing his arms.

“Looking for Merlin? Gwen just came back. Apparently Gwaine was in some sort of trouble and they had to bail his sorry ass out of a nasty situation.”

She smiled like a cat who got the cream.

The prince was looking inside his mind for a comeback, but found none. Instead he just asked:“She left Merlin alone with  _ Gwaine _ ?”, with emphasis on the latter’s name showing his disbelief.

Gwen was a smart woman, a sensible one. Someone who would never leave poor Merlin alone in the clutches of that moronic alcoholic flirt. Or at least so he’d thought.

“Is everything okay, Arthur?” asked his father’s ward, sounding slightly concerned but unfazed nevertheless.

“Yes, it is.” Replied curtly the Prince. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go and murder that useless servant of mine.”

He all but sprinted back towards his chambers, to reach them as soon as he could and to avoid other indulgent questions from Morgana. He wasn’t fast enough, though, since he heard her say:“Go and save your damsel in distress!”. He vaguely shot her a rude gesture, before continuing to his path.

He reached his chambers almost out of breath, due to the rage inside his bones and not to the stairs or short run. He was in pristine figure, after all.

Opening the door, he noticed several things: his bed was freshly made; his armour and sword were polished and put aside in their usual spot; Merlin was absent and nowhere to be found.

Two out of the three things he had just seen were different than how he'd had left them earlier in his search.

The slight order of his rooms showed that the other man had once been there, at least. Which meant he was not with Gwaine. And that was a win-win situation, from his point of view.

But, it was also true that Merlin couldn't have had the necessary time to clean up his chambers  _ and _ polish his armour. Therefore he might have used some help to get everything done faster.

Arthur sent a quick prayer to whoever was listening that his idiotic manservant hadn't been seen by anyone.

But, at least, he probably was alone and had left that good-for-nothing drunken man.

Somewhat content, Arthur went to fetch the knights for their usual training session, promising himself to come back earlier and give Merlin a piece of his mind.

***

He stared at the roaring fire, lost inside his thoughts.

The door opened abruptly, no sign of knocking nor a polite question to be let in. The Crown Prince of Camelot didn't need to turn around to know exactly who had just entered his chambers.

“I don’t suppose I want to know where you’ve been this morning instead of attending your duties, do I?” the Prince asked with as much nonchalance as he could master.

He kept on looking at the hart but could sense the presence behind his back. Merlin had stilled on his steps, probably his dinner still in his arms on a tray, ready to be set.

“I don’t think so, sire.” Was the short reply that came back.   
“Well, if you say so" he involuntary clenched his fist, hiding it so that the other man wouldn't see it. "Did you two have fun, at least?"

Merlin scoffed, “At all. And Gwen was with us, it wasn’t just me and Gwaine.”

The effortless way he said _ ‘me and Gwaine’  _ made something knot inside Arthur’s stomach. He wasn’t truly hungry anymore. 

“Yes, I was told you were with her as well. Tell me, Merlin, did that drunken bastard try to take her womanhood?”

A clear and vibrant laugh came in response. “As always, sire. She was really close to punching him in the face, but thought better of it and left.”

“Well that is a scene I’d pay to see. Next time Gwaine gets almost punched, please come and fetch me so I can witness it."

Arthur turned around just at the worst moment possible. The smile on Merlin’s face was priceless and momentarily took his breath away.

They kept on looking at each other for a couple of heartbeats, neither wanting to lose the silent competition between them nor break the moment.

Arthur, coming back to his senses, looked away to return to the papers he was supposed to be reading, instead of agonizing over his manservant.

They remained in a comfortable silence for a while, Merlin working and Arthur reading the day’s reports. For once in his life, everything was calm in the kingdom. No attacks, no illegal magic users to chase down.    
Then, out of the blue, his mind replayed him a snipped of Merlin’s last sentence :‘ _ Thought better of it and left.’ _

How long had Gwen left the two man alone? Was she insane, leaving innocent Merlin with that crazy nymphomaniac asshole?

His mind was in total chaos, trying to grasp the situation, but still he maintained his posture and kept his voice steady when he asked :“Did Gwen leave you too alone for long?”

At Merlin’s curious gaze, he simply added, at scramble for his brain to properly function:“Wouldn’t want you to spend too much time with him, otherwise I’d have to find a new manservant.”

_ ‘Good save, Arthur’ _ , he thought to himself.

“Well then, good luck trying to find someone as good as I am!” proudly announced Merlin.

“Will not be that hard. After all, the bar is incredibly low. I always remember the nice old days when servants showed respect to their masters.”

That earned him a scoff from the raven haired man, followed by laughter from both sides.

“Well then, sire. I have finished my chores for the day, so I’ll leave you to your peaceful night" Merlin said while excessively bowing incorrectly to the Prince.

“You’re supposed to wait until I dismiss you!” replied Arthur, fretting outrageousness with a big smile plastered on his face.

“And where would the fun be in that?” asked again the servant, winking at his direction.

He had no idea whatsoever about why that banter and that simple action were leaving him almost breathless, his intestines twisting all over in his abdomen. “I suppose you’re right" he said curtly, before returning to his papers.

Merlin left shortly after, wishing him a good rest, with a softer voice that he had had a moment before, while closing the door behind him.

Arthur was once again left alone with his thoughts, papers long forgotten.

Many questions were flying through his mind: What was Gwaine doing that morning that lead him into such troubles? Possibly a drunken night at the tavern and no money to pay it with. Why did he bother Gwen, in the first place and of all the people, and then also his Merlin? Didn’t he think about their duties and jobs, was he only thinking of himself? Did he know about Merlin’s secret? Did he find out by accident, or, if he knew, it was because his servant was already comfortable sharing his deepest secrets with the man? 

Many moons and fortnights had passed and neither Merlin nor Arthur dared to initiate the conversation. The Prince was beginning to worry if he would ever bring it up voluntarily or if he’d still have to cover up for the sorcerer. 

Amongst those questions, though, one appeared more than once. Gwaine had jokingly flirted with everyone inside the castle, excluding the King, Gaius and Arthur himself. But he made quite clear intentions towards Merlin. 

Did Merlin reciprocate the curiosity? If yes, why towards Gwaine? He was a drunken stranger who had no moral compass. 

If his servant was inclined certain ways, why couldn’t he approach Arthur to talk about it and act them out?

_ ‘Why in the Hell I am having such thoughts?’ _ his mind yelled back. 

Arthur could feel the beginning of a headache start. 


	4. 70%

Training was incredibly therapeutic.

Everyone, once in a while at the very least, should go and hit something or somebody to relieve stress and everyday burdens.

It also stopped the Crown Prince of Camelot's mind from wandering too far away from his body, which was something extraordinary.

Attack. Defence. Left. Step forward. Attack. Right. Duck. Right. Spun and raise the sword. 

He was a perfectly oiled machine, unstoppable. He knew every possible combination of steps by heart and executed them with such a precise control that nobody could ever beat him without cheating.

As long as he didn't get distracted.

Which he wasn't to get now, considering his main source of distraction and pent up energy wasn't around, probably somewhere inside the castle running errands for Gaius, or helping Morgana and Gwen.

Or practicing an incredibly illegal spell that could get him killed on the spot without making sure nobody saw what he was doing and Holy Gods…

' _ No!' _ his mind yelled, ' _ he'll be fine. Focus on Leon. Merlin knows best than to get caught.' _

And focus he did.

He loves sparing with Leon, one of his most trusted knights and one of his oldest friends. They had a fluid dynamic and he was one of the very few people that could keep up with the Prince's attacks.

Merlin had once commented on how he thought the elder knight was holding back, not fighting against him at full strength cause he didn't want the Prince to throw a fit, but Arthur knew better. 

Leon didn't hold back with him cause he knew he could take it, not to save his pride. More than once he had been knocked on his ass by the blond man, and more than once the situation had been switched.

He just needed to focus, sharp as a razor blade, on his actions and on his sword.

All around them the other knights trained as well and Arthur dared a look around to check on his men.

Everyone was engaged with a partner, even stupid Gwaine was keeping up for once!

But there was a knight alone, resting on the ground and catching his breath. Arthur knew he was fighting against Percival and therefore understood the fatigue of the man, but for the life of him he could not find the taller and broad figure of the missing knight.

Another twirl against Leon made him see exactly what was happening, though.

Percival was leaving the training field to reach a shaded porch area where a beaming Merlin was currently, leaning against a pole with a big idiotic smile plastered on his face at the knight.

Leon twisted his sword in just the right way to make Arthur lose his footing. It was all Leon's fault, of course. Nothing suspicious.

His mind focused back on the matter at hand. He raised his sword, making it crash against the other knight's and resuming their lethal dance.

That until he turned around again to attack and saw the two men standing closely to each other and whispering in secrecy,hidden by the shade.

He could probably hear the conversation, if he paid it enough attention, but to do so would've meant losing the battle with Leon and that was simply unacceptable.

But he couldn't help but wonder what was said between them.

Was Merlin complaining about him? Was Percival making a move of his manservant?

That was something Gwaine would've done, and if the Irish bastard had been the one standing next to Merlin at the moment, the Prince would've really had a hard time concentrating. 

He trusted Percival and he was a good man. So why was he having a hard time letting it go?

Occasionally he would throw a glance at their direction, at Merlin that spoke softly and at Percival who listened enchanted.

He really needed to know what they were talking about.

A cold feeling made its way to Arthur's chest, settling on his stomach and making his vision turn red.

Was it possible that Merlin had begun to trust the other knight enough to reveal his secret? Had Percival found out on his own? 

Dread settled over him. If any of the knights knew about any sorcerer or magic in general, they had the duty to report directly to his father. And, although Percival was one of his men, he was a knight still and had swore an oath to the king.

No matter his level of trust or his friendship with his manservant, if he knew that meant Merlin wasn't safe.

But that mustn't have been what they were talking about, for Merlin was relaxed and calm, and not at all agitated as he always was whenever someone brought up magic. 

Of course, the small changes in Merlin were indeed very small, but Arthur knew how to read his manservant perfectly and noticed all the small details, even if he never mentioned on them.

Therefore, the magic topic was discarded.

Arthur kept his head focused on Leon. He was once again in complete control of the situation, and had decided in a couple of moves to finish the training, so he could drag his useless manservant away from prying eyes.

What he hadn't contemplated was the effect a certain laugh had on his body. A laugh that came from behind him at something  _ somebody else had said _ and that now left Merlin  _ blushing _ .

Arthur turned around abruptly, mindlessly raising his sword as if in the middle of an action and saw it. Percival, amusement on his features as he looked at the raven haired man, who was laughing freely, body shaking and wiping a few tears from his eyes.

Disbelief and hatred swept over the Prince's body as he began to move towards them to put a stop to this madness.

Merlin was  _ Arthur's _ manservant. He was the only one allowed to get those reactions from the other man, not some brute knight that couldn't properly fit in regular clothes.

He'd better move and rescue Merlin from the hulking giant, he probably was uncomfortable and….

Arthur stared at the ground in front of him, his sword out of his hand and laying a few steps away.

Leon, standing tall before him and twirling his own sword in his hands simply grinned down at him, an eyebrow raised mockingly up.

" _ Impossible"  _ Arthur thought before realising what had happened fully.

He had been too concerned to realize that Leon had the upper hand and when he turned around to go tear a new one to Percival, the blond Knight just had to raise his sword in an incredibly easy manoeuvres to send the Crown Prince flying up to the ground, disarmed and defeated.

Huffing out a frustrated sigh and composing himself at the same time, he took the hand Leon was offering him and hoisted himself up, congratulating with the knight.

Some beast inside of him stirred at the sight of Merlin rushing towards them, laughing and praising Leon with concern written everywhere on his face.

Percival was once again nowhere to be seen, but he didn't bother looking for him. In the morrow he'll have to pay, but at the moment all Arthur could think about was the way Merlin's fingers felt on his skin as he looked for sore spots.

"That was quite a fall, sire"

Arthur didn't deign to answer, calling back to the other knight and properly putting an end to the session. He then simply began to walk toward the castle.

Merlin waved his hand at Leon and began to follow him almost immediately, chattering mindlessly with the Prince.

Arthur looked for Percival once more, finding him next to the drunk bastard. They were talking to each other and the taller man had a soft expression on his face, such a contrast with the rest of his body.

" _ Good"  _ he thought. " _ Entertain yourself with Gwaine and leave my Merlin alone." _


	5. 99%

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.

Somehow, it was a good day.

His father had yet to yell at him for something, Morgana was in her rooms trying on dresses, the knights were diligent and respectful.

Everything was going great. Suspiciously great.

Dread crept up in his chest. This looked too much like the calm before a storm.

But worrying about it now wouldn't solve anything, or so Arthur told himself, as he went around the halls looking for his manservant. 

The Prince found himself missing the dumb man more often than not, at a surprisingly alarming rate. He would be there in the morning when the raven haired man would clean his chambers, chatting half-heartedly as he pretended not to notice the way Merlin's hand moved on his bed. He would insist on hunting trips with only the two of them, relaxing fully only around him and outside of earshot. He had even asked Merlin to see some of the training, to get his input on the knights' stance and performances.

Although he didn't care about the knights, he just wanted Merlin's eyes to stay focused on himself. Which they happily did. 

His head floated towards wherever the man was, silently hoping him to be near in order to find him sooner and resume the banter and the teasing of the day.

Arthur didn't really have a purpose in this short walk along the castle walls, he was mindlessly wandering, letting his feet move him. So far he had yet to run into someone, anyone, and that rose a little suspicion inside the Prince's mind. 

He had unknowingly gone to an area of the castle that was nowadays rarely used, old guest chambers, too formal for the usual visitors.

Arthur was about to retreat back on his steps when he heard the voices.

There were two, and both of them unmistakable: one belonged to Leon, his second in command, his most trusted advisor and knight, one of his closest and oldest friends; the second belonged to Merlin.

Arthur's heart jumped in his chest rapidly.

"I don't care about any of that, Merlin. I've grown to trust you, but if you even mistakenly hurt him…"

"You know I would never!"

"Let me finish!" 

A hard noise of a body hitting stone resonated throughout the hall. Unable to stop himself, Arthur moved to get a closer look. If one of his knights was harrassings a servant, he would've jumped immediately and clear some sense into somebody, but those were not  _ a _ knight and  _ a  _ servant. Therefore, the Crown Prince of Camelot kept himself concealed with the shadows, letting the scene unfold, curious and cautious.

And he didn't like what he saw.

Leon had Merlin pinned against the wall, caging him with his body. Arthur couldn't see the blond's face for he was turned, but he imagined what his features might've looked like.

"I will murder you myself, instead of waiting for the executioner's axe to drop on you. Hurt him and you'll be signing your death yourself."

Merlin looked paler than usual and was trembling. He was terrified. Or at least that was the Prince hoped he looked like.

Arthur was about to burst into the situation, shove Leon out of the way and comfort his manservant, but Leon's next words stopped him before he managed to move from his spot.

"This has to remain a secret between us, understood?" he said with heartbreaking gentleness.

Merlin weakly nodded, swallowing soundly and breathing unevenly.

"Good, we can't let Arthur know. He's a good man, but I don't know how he will react."

Then something happened. Merlin smiled at Leon, wide and unrestrained.

And that was all that the Crown Prince could stomach. Before either men could speak again, he defeated the scene, running away without drawing attention to himself.

His vision had become blurry and his face felt hot. Everything felt wrong.

He couldn't think, he couldn't breathe. All he mustered was putting distance between himself and the two men. He avoided crowded hallways and halls, directed to his rooms to lock himself there and remain alone for as long as his heart needed to repair itself.

Because, in that moment, that was how he felt. Broken.

The walls closed up around him, suffocating his very being and trapping him. 

It was all wrong.

Merlin was  _ his friend _ . 

Everything was wrong.

It wasn't that Arthur was a lonely person, he lived in a grand castle surrounded by people that cared about him. His knight were fun to be around and easy with him, treating sometimes like an equal and not a superior office if the climate was right. Lady Morgana was constantly nagging him, bothering him and giving him a piece of her mind, but she was also there when Arthur needed her. Even Gaius was a paternal figure he sometimes missed in his own father.

But Merlin was different. He was the first person Arthur wanted to see in the morning, the only one he confided his thoughts freely to, his most trusted and beloved friend.

And it wasn't like he wasn't allowed to have other friends, even servants deserve human interactions. But there was something incredibly upsetting about what he just saw between the knight and his manservant.

" _ Maybe he discovered Merlin's secret and was confronting him"  _ he thought rationally, trying for focus on the pragmatic parts of his brain.

But something was still off. Leon had pushed Merlin against a wall and the servant has  smiled. He had only smiled like that at Arthur, when they were alone, during long hours of hunting or in his chambers as they both worked.

Then, realization dawned at him: Leon knew how much the prince cherished his friendship with the raven haired man and he had said he didn't want to hurt Arthur. 

It was impossible.

The prince fell onto his bed, unable to stand. 

His most trusted knight, his oldest friend, was courting his manservant. Or had courted him and now they were past that.

" _ Don't be ridiculous Arthur, Leon would never." _ Right, the knight wasn't like that.

But then, he didn't know if Merlin was.

The most unsettling thing was that Merlin had smiled at Leon, his deep blue eyes shining bright.

_ "Those eyes I love so much." _ he thought with a small smile at the corner of his lips.

And for a second time, realization dawned upon him. 

It all made sense, why he was pissed of the time Merlin spent with Lancelot and Gwaine, why he wanted him around all day, why he was wrecked the moment he found out about the magic.

Arthur Pendragon, Heir to the entire Kingdom, was in love with his manservant, a sorcerer in a reign where magic was punished by death.

And said man was probably in love with somebody else.

Arthur then closed his eyes, letting all the emotions he bottled up during the years wash over him.

He had never felt this lost in his entire life and, for the first time, he was truly afraid.

***

" _ Aren't you going to tell the King?" _

_ "What for? He'll throw you in the dungeons while building the pyre to burn you alive at and it'll wreak Arthur. I said it before and I meant it, Merlin. I trust you. I know you saved our lives more than once and don't you dare denying it." _

_ "Then why…?" _

_ "Because I love Arthur like a brother. I'll be damned if something happens to him on my watch, or yours. And if something does, I'll blame you as well as myself." _

_ "I would never cause any harm to Arthur, you know that. He is destined to greatness." _

_ "What are you destined for then?" _

_ "I'll protect him with my last dying breath, although I'd like not to die for that clotpole!" _

_ "You love him, don't you?" _

_ "Is it really that obvious? I thought I was being subtle." _

_ "If that is your idea of subtle then I can't really believe you deceived all of us about your sorcery." _

_ "If you hadn't seen it with your own eyes would've you believed it?" _

_ "Fair point." _


	6. 100%

There was a secret dungeon below the castle. 

He had been informed about it when he was a child and he knew how to reach it, but no-one had gone there in such a long time and therefore Arthur never bothered either.

Only once, in his early years of manhood, he had ventured down the dark alleys until he had deemed the quest too boring and went back to train some more.

Nobody but him, his father, Gaius and Geoffrey knew of that secret dungeon, and none of these men had ever revealed him what was inside.

But he still knew some of the way, and when he began to see it in his dream, he got curious. His mind wandered down the path, which was as dark and uninviting as the last time he was there.

A large locked door was in front of him, and he flown through it as if it was made of mist.

**"Welcome, young prince."**

A monumental voice in his mind called at him. In his current state, bodiless and floating around, he couldn't run away from it nor face it. Cautiously, Arthur spoke back :"Where am I?"

**"Don't you know, young prince? Under your own castle."** the voice retorted back, an hint of laughter behind its words.

"Where are you? Why can't I see you?"

**"Because you are not ready yet."**

Arthur was downright offended. There was nothing in this or in any worlds that he wasn't ' _ ready _ ' for. "What kind of ridiculous answer is that?"

**"The only kind you will have from me, young prince. Now, listen carefully."**

"I can't do anything else, can I?" he pondered while imagining to cross his arms in front of his chest, although he still didn't have a body.

**"He warned me that you were difficult and over all a** **_'dollophead'_ ** **, whatever that might be."** Irritation laced each word, racing over the word that Arthur could've sworn belonged to only one pair of lips.

"What did you just say?"

**"It is not important, young prince. You must listen. Great forces of evil arise."**

"Basically everyday, right? How is this news?" 

**"STOP INTERRUPTING"** the voice yelled,  **"You are even more exhausting that the other. Maybe I should just keep quiet."**

"You dragged me all the way down here for this, so speak. I command you." 

The voice laughed.  **"Young prince. Only one can command me. And you as well."**

"Now what in the Heavens is that supposed to mean?" Arthur asked, confusion dripping in his tone.

**"You will find our soon enough. Shall I continue? Where was I?"**

The voice began to ramble, before being cut abruptly by the Prince, "Evil is coming."

**"Oh yes. Uther has always had counted days. Since he foolishly began to execute sorcerers for merely existing. Do you wish to follow down the same path?"**

"I do not see why that is important to know to someone who wouldn't even show his face. And to someone who just veiled threatened my own Father and King."

**"I told you, young prince. You are not yet prepared. As for the latter situation. Me and Uther, we have known each other for a long time. He is well aware of my disdain over him and of my wish for ill to befell him. He took his foolish precautions."**

Few were those who could claim history with his father, even fewer of those had magical abilities, which the voice must possess.

"How can a precaution be foolish?"

**"How can I phrase it? Ah, the cell that contained me has been opened and I am now free to do as I please. I don't bother Uther merely because he is not worth the trouble. Satisfied, young prince? Can you answer my question?"**

"Well, then, if you put it like that. I don't think you are prepared for my answer as well!"

**"I should burn you for your insolence!"**

The voice grew quiet for a moment and Arthur thought his interrogation was over, but it had other plans.

**"It is not important that you give** **me** **an answer, although I would appreciate it greatly."** it admitted in the end, **"Do you believe all magic is evil?"**

To that, Arthur could only answer truthfully and without refrain. "No."

**"Honesty! Finally!"** Joyous sounds came from the darkness. **"Then you should ponder about your situation, peculiar as it might be."**

Arthur began to feel dizzy, asleep and awake at the same time.

**"Another question before you leave, young prince. Are you aware of the infatuation your manservant has on you?"**

He didn't quite manage to understand properly the last part of the question before he unwillingly opened his eyes.

A dream. It had all been a dream.

Very realistic and lucid, but a dream nevertheless.

The secret dungeon had always been empty, or so his father claimed. All the past villains that went against the King of Camelot had been defeated finally, many by Arthur's hand itself.

There was no reason for him to worry or to go looking for whatever mysterious creature lurked in the shadows.

He had already enough on his own plate as that was.

"Morning sire."

For once, he had beat Merlin, had awaken without his help.

Arthur couldn't help but think back at the dream, though, no matter how hard he wished to concentrate on him.

He couldn't understand nor remember who the voice claimed his manservant was in love with. Obviously the term could've indicated anyone who worked for him, but there was only one his. Although it wasn't truly his, considering what had happened a few day prior with Leon.

Neither had spoken of it and Arthur kept on pretending none of that happened , for his own sake more than the two men's.

Still, that left a giant hole in his chest.

And with that sad note and Merlin's soft chatter, he got out of bed, ready to start a new day.

***

The second night, he was directly in the great cave, but this once he wasn't alone.

He still didn't have a corporeal form, though, but wished he did. Or at least part of him wished so, the part that would've not wet his own pants at the sight in front of him.

For there stood a dragon. Great, Powerful, Majestic. With four legs and two wings. Fangs as white as pure bone and scales as red as the blood of his enemies.

It stood tall and prideful, looking down at someone with a rather unusual gleam in its eyes, amusement and some sort of twisted affection, such a stark contrast with the atmosphere and the innate evil essence a dragon should carry, not that Arthur had met that many dragons to keep a good comparison.

Curiosity rushed through him and the Prince followed the dragon's gaze alongside the wall.

His heart stopped in his chest.

For the dragon was carefully watching Merlin.

Idiotic, dumb and precious Merlin. 

For a moment, Arthur forgot everything. Why he was there, who he was with. All he could think of was how to get his crazy magical manservant out of that cave.

He wanted to yell at him, beg him to run for cover. But he couldn't. No sound came out of him. He silently began to pray all the gods and creatures he had ever read about, begging them to let Merlin leave.

But his manservant, as usual, kept on surprising him. He simply stood there, arms crossed at his chest and a scowl painted on his lips.

Arthur could feel himself begin to float away, back into his body as the night before. 

_ "Merlin…" _ was all he could think about as he disappeared from the scene.

He woke up abruptly in his chambers, his beddings wet with his sweat and his heart tumbling in his chest.

That was just a dream, another weird recurrent dream. There was no way of knowing just how much time had passed, but outside of his windows was still night and no sound came from anywhere.

He desperately wanted to just lean back and chase sleep once more, but he couldn't shake the feeling of urgency and dread off of himself.

Muttering something about his  _ bloody manservant _ , he kicked the covers away and began putting on some loose clothing. He stopped just before exiting the chamber, pondering whether or not to bring his sword. After having collected it from its usual position, he left, walking the halls with a brisk pace. 

Hoping that it was just a dream.

***

The cave had to be completely empty and nothing had been down there in ages. Or at least, that was what Arthur thought as he opened the last door before a series of stair that probably lead straight to the Hell.

Although the Prince's face was impassible, inside he felt like a roaring storm. Thoughts of Merlin and the Dragon left him stumbling down the stairs, not caring if he fell or not. He prayed it was just a dream or a trick by some murderous sorcerer that would storm the castle soon. 

That he could deal with rather easily, especially since he had his own loyal sorcerer in the darkness of his chambers.

" _ Now's really not the time to think about  _ _ that. _ _ "  _ he thought to himself as a sly heat crept up his face.

He was almost at the bottom of the stairs, now. There was no light that came from the cave, except for a small glow from behind the pillar Arthur was hiding, nor a whisper of wind to move the air. Smiling and huffing a breath of relief, he finished slowly the last couple of steps, lighter that he had felt in days. He simply had to make sure everything was alright.

And, of course, Merlin had to ruin his initial plan.

"Well?" the raven haired man's voice asked, rather frustrated and annoyed.

For a moment Arthur thought he was directed at him, and was about to answer, but the voice from his dream beat him to it.

**"Patience, young warlock. That is a virtue you yet own."**

The voice sounded differently now, deeper and fuller, and it resonated through the walls, shaking them with its strength.

_ "Please don't be a dragon"  _ Arthur's mind began chanting.

"I am tired of your bullshit Kilgharrah. First you drag me here from sleep at this ungodly hour and then you let me stew down here without talking."

" _ Don't be ridiculous Arthur, dragons don't talk!" _ And, even if they did, the Prince doubted they would converse with anyone instead of eating them.

**"Now you know how it feels when you used to rush in here for any little whim."**

"Arthur's life was in danger. Would've you preferred I let him die cause I didn't know stuff yet?!" asked an outraged Merlin, probably raising his arms up in defeat in his own characteristic way that Arthur was so fond of.

**"We both know it wouldn't have happened."** the voice laughed and his manservant scoffed at it.

"Why do you still come here? You escaped rather loudly and are free to go wherever you want. What's in Camelot that ties you here still?"

The voice sighed deeply,  **"Only one unfinished business that is driving me insane!"**

"Must be something considering you were already pretty mad to begin with."

**"QUIET! How dare you speak to me like that!"**

With a coldness that Arthur didn't know he possessed, his manservant replied:"I am the last Dragonlord, in case you forgot. I can do that, it's in the job description. Now, do I have to command you to tell me what in the Heavens is up with you?"

**"Fine. No need to use magic. The two coins are still not cooperating and that is creating a problem in Avalon."**

"You mean me and Arthur? We are! We are the closest of friends and we work together perfectly!" he claimed, disbelief dripping from his words. Arthur involuntary flinched at the way he was addressed by the man he was in love with, but remained behind the pillar, unseen and unnoticed.

**"Have you told him of your secret?"** asked quietly the voice.

"YOU! You told me not to!"

**"Ah, but since when do you listen?"**

"So what? Now I'm allowed to let him know that I have magic? He'll kill me!"

Arthur wanted to let him know that, in fact, his head was going to remain attached to the rest of him even though he already knew of his magic, but the voice beat him to it.  **"I don't think he will, considering he already knows."**

"WHAT?!?" yelled Merlin, probably loud enough to wake the whole castle above.

_ "How in the Hell does this thing know about it? Also, please don't be a dragon." _ Arthur thought, offended that he had kept quiet for so long, only to be outshined by  something .

**"Oh, yes he is well aware of your magic abilities and I can tell you clearly that he has been worrying about it and you for quite a while."** the voice snickered, amusement probably written on its face. Arthur was downright offended now and almost went in, sword raised, to kill whatever was mocking him. But the voice, once more, continued,  **"I was talking about a different secret?"**

"I don't have other secrets?" asked back Merlin, sounding clearly confused and a little bit unsure.

**"Are you sure? Not even when it comes to your heart's desires?"**

"Stay out of it." his manservant snapped violently. His tone was a sign of danger and anger, but it went soft and scared in his next sentence:"Do I have to remind you that he is a prince and I a manservant and we're both males? Heir to the throne or not, Uther would kill him if he was interested, which he clearly isn't."

**"But you are."** finished sardonically the voice.

" _ WHAT??" _ Arthur's mind yelled at him as his heart leaped in his chest, threatening to burst out at any second. " _ Then what was with Leon…?" _

But Merlin, who never seemed to shut up no matter the situation, kept on going, interrupting the Prince's train of thought, "Would I have stuck up with the royal ass if I didn't love him with my entire being? Don't think so, considering I risk my life simply by existing in this city. All your great talks about destiny and greatness and  _ two sides of the same coin _ screwed me over all the time, but I would be lying if I said I didn't want to do what I do. Except cleaning the pots, that I hate with a burning passion and I can't wait till it's the future and they invent something useful. So yeah, I will keep this a secret for as long as I have to, even if it thorns me in pieces knowing that he will never care for me as I do him."

**"Ah, but young warlock. You see. He does care about you the same way."** said sardonically the voice.

Arthur widened his eyes in the darkness,  _ "How does this thing even  _ _ know?? _ "

**"Don't you, young Prince? It's not polite to eavesdrop."**

_ "HOLY BURNING HELL." _

This was a nightmare. He had dreamt about waking up and going down there in that godsforsaken hole and was still dreaming about it. It was a nightmare. There were no other explanations possible other than that. He was sleeping in his bed, tossing and turning and having a nightmare and a bloody voice that probably belonged to a bloody dragon hadn't just confessed to the man he loved all his well kept secrets. 

"Arthur…?" Merlin's voice called to him, frightened and small.

The Prince could do nothing but step out of his hiding and enter properly the dungeon.

It was larger than it appeared in his dreams and, as he suspected, illuminated by only one torch that Merlin was carrying.

And, as he was terrified to admit, the voice that had populated his mind for the last two nights did belong to a dragon, a talking dragon that had just now spilled all his heart's knowledgeables.

Sword drawn and heart plummeting in his chest, the Crown Prince of Camelot stepped forward towards the beast.

"Who are you?" he asked pointedly, proud that his voice didn't falter.

**"I'm hurt, Prince. You don't remember me?"** mocked the dragon.

It took Arthur no time at all to recognise it. After all, he had only seen one of their species in his lifetime, the last one on the land.

"You destroyed half of our citadel."

The dragon chuckled harshly,  **"Correct. But now, I have other businesses to attend."**

And with that it left, escaping once more from who knows where. Arthur hoped to never see the creature again, but something in the pit of his stomach told him that it wouldn't happen easily.

A tense silence settled in the semi-dark cave. Unsure of what to do, the Prince lowered his sword and slowly turned towards his manservant. A million thoughts swirled around his mind and he was trying to catch only one, to break the awkwardness that permeated the air.

No words came to his aid.

"Arthur I can explain…" Merlin began, trailing his words as the Prince raised his hand, shutting him up.

_ "Breath in, Arthur. This is your moment." _ he thought to himself before sighing profoundly.

He tried to muster all the usual calmness he wore in front of everyone, but the man in front of him. "No need, I've known you had magic since Ealdor."

It was Merlin's turn now to do something, and he chose to fold his arms at his chest and raise an eyebrow in an incredibly accurate depiction of Gaius.

"And you forgot to casually mention it because?" he asked, lightness behind his words.

"It didn't matter" he admitted "And I wanted you to come forward at tell me yourself whenever you were ready."

The smile that Merlin gave him could've easily light up the entire black cave surrounding them and blinded him, but Arthur didn't mind one bit. "Oh so what? So you could put the sword through my neck yourself?" he fretted, faking seriousness but not managing to hide completely the unsureness of his current position.

Arthur dropped his sword to the ground unceremoniously and stepped closer to the sorcerer. The echo of the sound moved to the farthest corners of the dungeon, filling the thick air.

"Why would I do that?" he whispered, looking into the other man's eyes, "Who would polish it then? And who would storm into my rooms at ungodly hours in the night to pull me into something crazy and idiotic and magical?" He finished his small speech with an uncertain smile on his lips, afraid of what Merlin would reply back.

Luckily for him, his manservant laughed quietly while shooting his head. "It was one time and the castle was  under attack. "

"Mere semantics, Mer _ lin. _ The question here is, why didn't you tell  _ me _ ?" 

Hopefulness filled Arthur's chest as his limp hand was moved from his side and now rested next to Merlin's, fingers brushing lightly.

The sorcerer sighed deeply, "I didn't want to put you in a bad position, nor I wanted you to lie to your father about me."

That same hand now moved on its own accord to smack the back of the raven haired man, choosing to remain next to the soft hair at the base of his neck as his owner moved closer and closer.

"You're an idiot, I hope you know that."

"What was that for?" asked Merlin, bright blue eyes shining with anticipation.

"Again, being an idiot. In case the big dragon didn't manage to put it clearly into your head, I've been lying to my father about you since day two."

"What about day one?"

Arthur snorted at that, mind wandering back at the fond worn out memory. "I was actually more pissed than turned one by you back then, to be honest."

"Does that mean that the Prince here fancies a poor servant like myself?"

"Merlin."

"Yeah?"

"Just shut up."

An with that, the sorcerer finally closed the space between himself and his Prince. 

" _ Finally" _

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading.  
> (Special thanks to my beta Melipedia that puts up with my shit all the times!)  
> Please don't forget to leave a kudo and a comment if you liked it  
> You can find me on Tumblr! drjackandmissiole.tumblr.com  
> Thanks again  
> Jo


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